Real Audiencia of Guatemala

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The Real Audiencia of Guatemala was based in the center of Antigua Guatemala

The Real Audiencia of Guatemala (in Spanish completely: Audiencia y Cancillería Real de Guatemala , also: de los Confines de Guatemala y Nicaragua ) was a court in Antigua Guatemala , an institution of colonial administration and at the same time a judicial district ( Real Audiencia ) of the Spanish crown. It existed from 1542 to 1821 as part of the Spanish colonial rule in Central America.

The role of the Real Audiencias in the colonies

After the conquest of Central and South America ( Conquista ) by the Spaniards, King Charles V issued the "Laws on India" (Spanish: Leyes de Indias ) and the "New Laws" (Spanish: Leyes Nuevas ), in which he is the administration organized and regulated the overseas colonies in the “Viceroyalty of New Castile”.

The Real Audiencias were responsible for the implementation of the laws and the support of the military governors . They fulfilled tasks in administration and finance that went far beyond that of a court according to today's understanding, especially as a separation of powers was unknown. In addition to a chairman and usually four judges (Spanish: Oidores ), there was a public prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ), but also subordinate executive forces such as a bailiff (Spanish: alguacil mayor ), police officers, translators, etc.

prehistory

In order to provide administrative and legal support to the conquest of South America, the Spanish crown under King Charles V founded the Real Audiencia of Panama in 1538 . Its president Francisco Pérez de Robles and his Oidores aroused the displeasure of the Spanish court through mismanagement and corruption.

After the conquest of South America, the Spanish crown established the viceroyalty of Peru in 1543 to complement the existing viceroyalty of New Spain , which included Mexico and the Caribbean. A separate Audiencia for South America was set up in Lima . At the same time, the king had the Audiencia in Panama dissolved again and relocated to Guatemala.

Founded in Guatemala in 1543

By royal decree of September 1542, the Audiencia was set up and should take its seat in Ciudad de Comayagua (then: Nueva Valladolid ). The Audiencia was under the direction of Pedro Ramírez de Quiñones , whose first duties included the indictment of his predecessor Pérez de Robles. Other oidores were Diego de Herrera, Juan Rogel and Alonso Maldonada.

In 1544 the Audiencia first took its seat in Gracias a Dios until it was allowed to move to Antigua Guatemala (then: Santiago de Guatemala ), the largest city, bishopric and economic center of Central America at that time.

The Audiencia moved to Panamá in 1563

Guatemala, off the major trade routes from the Pacific, proved impractical as an administrative and judicial center for the colony. Therefore, the Audiencia for Central America was moved back to Panama in 1563. Lope García de Castro rebuilt it from 1565; the Audiencia in Guatemala was initially dissolved.

Rebuilt in 1568

In 1568, King Philip II decided that the Audiencia in Guatemala should resume its work, in addition to the Audiencia in Panamá that still existed. The first president of the new Audiencia was Antonio González, supported as Oidores by García Jofre de Loayza, Bernabé Valdés de Cárcamo and Cristóbal de Anzoeta.

Jurisdiction

The Audiencia of Guatemala was responsible for the areas of today's Guatemala , Honduras , El Salvador , Nicaragua , Belize and Chiapas in Mexico . From 1550 the Yucatán (peninsula) was also part of the Audiencia, but this area changed several times between the Audiencias of Guatemala and Mexico .

During the dissolution of the Audiencia in Panama (1542 to 1563), the Audiencia of Guatemala also exercised administrative sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Tierra Firme in the south (today's Costa Rica , Panama and parts of Colombia and Venezuela ).

Concretization of the tasks 1680

With the Recopilación de Leyes de Indias in 1680, the Spanish Crown summarized the individual provisions in the New World that had been enacted over the years into one legal text. A number of five oidores has been established for the Audiencia of Guatemala .

Reforms in the 18th century

The Bourbons reformed the Spanish administrative system in the 18th century. Following the French model, the colonies were divided into smaller administrative units, so-called intendencias . The area of ​​the Audiencia was divided into the Intendencias Chiapas, San Salvador, Comayagua (today's Honduras) and Léon (today's Nicaragua). The Intendencias should determine the state borders of Central America after independence. Large parts of administrative and judicial tasks were delegated by the Audiencia to the level of the Intendencias .

resolution

In 1821 the leader of the Mexican independence movement, Agustín de Iturbide, signed the Treaty of Cordoba with the last Spanish viceroy, Juan O'Donojú , which sealed Mexico's independence. The independence movements in the area of ​​the Intendencias in Guatemala also joined the Mexican Empire. Later jurisdiction and administration were transferred to the Central American Federation and its successor states.

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